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- Terminal Tip: "Now Playing" info from the command line
Filed under: How-tos, iTunes, Terminal Tips
Have you ever wondered whether there was a command line way to check iTunes and determine which song is currently playing. The command-line osascript utility makes this an easy problem to solve. Osascript executes AppleScript commands from Terminal's command line and can run many of the same kinds of simple scripts you'd normally run in Script Editor. Here's a quick how-to to build a Now Playing command line utility. - Launch Terminal.
- In Terminal, enter:
touch nowplaying - In Terminal, enter:
open -e nowplaying - In TextEdit, paste the following into nowplaying. The second line wraps here but should copy and paste correctly--at least it did when I tried it out.
#! /bin/bash
osascript -e 'tell application "iTunes" to if player state is playing then "Now Playing: " & name of current track & " - " & artist of current track' - Save the file in TextEdit and close it.
- In Terminal, enter:
chmod 755 nowplaying - Open iTunes and start playing a song.
- In Terminal, enter:
./nowplaying
The script, when run, outputs the track name and artist.
% ./nowplaying
Now Playing: Everything I've Got - Iain Archer
%Thanks Dave M
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http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/02/terminal-tip-now-playing-info-from-the-command-line/#comments - iPod price drop in the UK
Filed under: iPod Family, Deals
Eagle-eyed reader Robert pointed out the following price drop in the UK Apple Store. It seems that the 30GB iPod is down from £189 to £179, and the 80GB model has dropped from £259 to £239. Cool!
We checked the US store soon after reading Robert's tip but found no change. If you're outside of the US and the UK, have you noticed a change, or are our neighbors across the Atlantic the lucky ones?Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/02/ipod-price-drop-in-the-uk/#comments - Griffin previews the Amplifi
Filed under: Audio, iPod Family
Now that you can get 256kbps, DRM-free music from iTunes (well, in May, anyway) you're going to want to hear what that extra $0.30US buys you. You could pick up an iPod HiFi for $350US, or wait a bit for the Amplifi by Griffin Technology.
The Amplifi is a 2.1 sound system for all iPod models (it accommodates other players as well) that features a wooden case and bass reflex port plus two 2-3/4" neodymium drivers on the front and one 5" woofer underneath. It also features standard audio in and a remote. Check out this video of our very own Scott McNulty talking Amplifi with the Griffin folks at Macworld for some first hand impressions.
Now for the million dollar question...what's it going to cost? The iPod HiFi's price tag has successfully kept many shoppers away, and no information is currently available on the Amplifi's cost or shipping date. If it's more moderately priced than the HiFi, it could be a winner.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/02/griffin-previews-the-amplifi/#comments - Blast from the Past: Apple Ships OS 8
Filed under: OS, Retro Mac, Blast From the Past
July 1997. Apple Computer (and it was still Apple Computer back then, none of this Apple, Inc business) revealed the latest and greatest operating system: OS 8. It was even delivered on time! Selling for $99, OS 8 introduced a spiffy updated Finder,preemptivecooperative multitaskingand memory protection. The standard installation required about 100 MB of disk space and 16 MB of RAM.At the launch, licensing deals weren't quite worked out with the makers of the Mac clones--remember them?--but they were expected to start shipping their hardware with OS 8 pre-installed in short order. Of course, technologists were focused on the imminent arrival of Rhapsody--due to bow in 1998, but never actually showing up at the dance.
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http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/02/blast-from-the-past-apple-ships-os-8/#comments - ThinkSecret: Leopard in June
Ah, those crazy kids at ThinkSecret and their "sources." Today they're suggesting that Apple's Leopard operating system will be made available in June, as well as new versions of iLife and iWork. In an attempt to compete with Vista, iLife may be a "free" upgrade for customers who buy Leopard.
Also, it looks like the next version of iLife will be called "Leopard Edition," and not "iLife 07." Of course, all sorts of release dates have been suggested for Leopard, so who knows. We just know that we want it!Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/02/thinksecret-leopard-in-june/#comments - Backup your Mac to DreamHost
Filed under: How-tos, Tips and tricks, Internet Tools
Michael Lee at the Addison Road blog has put together a nice tutorial for doing an online backup to a DreamHost account. DreamHost is a well known shared hosting provider that offers a reasonably good deal on website hosting, with about 170GB of storage for about $8 a month. Michael is basically suggesting that if you have a site with DreamHost, but don't use anywhere near your allotment of storage and bandwidth, you can use some of that space for online backup instead of one of dedicated online backup services like JungleDisk with S3, Omnidrive or Joyent BingoDisk. Michael's solution involves using OS X's built-in command line tool rsync to do the heavy lifting (the actual backing up), scheduled using iCal alarms calling an AppleScript.
In fact, I have been a DreamHost customer for quite some time, and I use my hosting account like this as well. Instead of using rsync like Michael, however, some time ago I set up an Automator workflow that calls the Transmit FTP client to upload backups to a WebDAV folder as suggested on the Strongspace blog. One advantage of doing it this way is that I can mount that WebDAV folder in the Finder to grab files off of it (or even access it through a web browser). However you do it, taking advantage of online storage space you might already be paying for is a good idea.
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http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/02/backup-your-mac-to-dreamhost/#comments - Apple TV: A $300 Mac in disguise
If we were asked to choose a single world to describe the Apple TV, it would be "hacktastic." Check out the success that's been had by AppleTV Hacker, as well as many others. To add to the list of tricks that have been squeezed out of the little box, reader Matt sent us these benchmark test results of an Apple TV running a clean install of Mac OS 10.4.9.
According to our tipster, the Apple TV was running OS X 56% as fast as a PowerMac G5 dual processor. He noted that audio didn't work and OpenGL apps failed to display graphics, but other than that, Intel-based apps were behaving normally (PPC apps were unusably slow). We'll leave it to the world's able hackers to address these "issues."
So, does this mean that the Apple TV is a $300US Mac? If you're a hacker ready to jump through some hoops, it could be. One thing is certain, though: It's one fun little toy.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/02/apple-tv-a-300-mac-in-disguise/#comments - MLB.TV Mosaic: baseball nirvana
Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Video, Internet Tools
Today is one of the best days of the year: the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, spring is in the air. It's Opening Day! Major League Baseball has really been on the forefront of delivering content on the web, and this year looks to be the best yet. MLB.TV started testing their stand-alone Mosaic player last year, and it looks like they've updated it significantly for the 2007 season (it just became available for download last night). Mosaic is a very cool application that lets MLB.TV premium subscribers watch six (!) baseball games simultaneously (the above screenshot is rather boring since there were only two games last night). You can then click on any of the game to bring up a larger size window focusing on that game alone (as below). This year MLB.TV is doubling the bit-rate of their streams to 700kbps so I would expect the video quality to improve significantly over the last few years.
The biggest downside to Mosaic is that it's a resource hog. This is unsurprising when you discover that it is in part a Java application that depends on Flip4Mac for the video (all the streams are Windows Media based). In addition, location based blackout restrictions apply to the home markets of teams (based on the billing address of your credit card). Nonetheless, for the big baseball fan (and particular fantasy baseball player) Mosaic is close to nirvana, especially for those of us who no longer live in our favorite team's home market.
The Mosaic player is included with a premium subscription to MLB.TV which is $119.95 per year. They have also have a regular subscription for $89.95 that will allow you to watch one game at a time in a browser window as well as an audio-only Gameday Audio subscription for $14.95.
Oh yeah, Go 'Stros!Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/02/mlb-tv-mosaic-baseball-nirvana/#comments - EMI DRM free tracks on iTunes: Pricing, and upgrading
Filed under: iTS, iTunes, Apple
As Dave posted, EMI is offering their entire catalog of music sans DRM. This is a great move for customers. Many people commented last night that it isn't the DRM that bothers them with iTunes downloads, but rather the lower bitrate of the songs. It would seem that EMI is going to be addressing that as well.
Not only will EMI songs be DRM free, but they will also be available at twice the bitrate of other songs on iTunes. There is a catch though, single DRM free tracks will cost $1.29 with DRMed tracks of the same music (at a lower bitrate) still available for $.99. You will also be able to 'upgrade' EMI tracks you have already purchased for $.30 each. Albums will be DRM free, though they won't charge a premium (hence, most will cost $9.99) and all of EMI's music videos will drop the DRM but remain priced at $1.99.
No word on when these tracks will be available on the iTunes Store (the first to offer them), but you can be sure this blogger will be buying a DRM free album when he can.
Update: Jobs says the tracks will be available in May.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/02/emi-drm-free-tracks-on-itunes-pricing-and-upgrading/#comments - It's official: DRM-free music from EMI
Filed under: Apple Corporate, iTS, iTunes
Beatles fans, it looks like the wait is still on. Engadet is live blogging the Steve Jobs/EMI press event in London today, and they've just mentioned the official press release from EMI which reads, in part:
"EMI Music launches DRM-free superior sound quality downloads across its entire digital repertoire."
We'll have more details after the jump, so stay tuned!Continue reading It's official: DRM-free music from EMI
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http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/02/its-official-drm-free-music-from-emi/#comments - Flash Video Downloader
Filed under: Software, Video, Freeware
In one of our previous Ask TUAW columns we addressed a question about downloading Flash videos from sites like YouTube and Google Video. We mentioned several shareware programs to do this including TubeSock and yFlicks, however recently a free solution has come to my attention called simply the Flash Video Downloader from Tesseract Software. The interface is very simple: you just copy and paste the URL from your browser for the page that the video appears on (i.e. you don't have to know the exact location of the video file, just the main page URL). The Flash Video Downloader apparently consults videodownloader.net for the actual file location and then sucks it down to your computer. Of course once it's downloaded you'll need VLC or something similar to play it. You can also set up a series of pages as a batch job and the Downloader will do its thing in the background downloading each video, then send up a Growl notification when it's done.
The Flash Video Downloader is not as slick as some of the commercial solutions out there, but it's a free download, and does get the job done.
[Via FreeMacWare]Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/02/flash-video-downloader/#comments - Desktop of the Week for 4/1 - 4/07/07
Filed under: Desktops, Software
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The TUAW Desktop of this week brings a subtle spin to two elements of Mac OS X: the desktop and menubar. Flickr user syrup16g submitted a unique setup to our TUAW Desktops Flickr Pool that contains none of the typical desktop icons - not even a hard drive. Head over to see a larger size size of the pic, but the icons you see are aliases to three folders: Photo, Download and Movie. I guess syrup16g has some very specific uses for his Mac. What makes this über-minimal desktop interesting is its contrast with a very, very busy menubar that contains, from left to right: Quicksilver, iScrobbler, Alarm Clock 2, you control: Tunes, Google Notifier, Mixi and Main Menu.
If you'd like to see your unique, functional or otherwise interesting desktop featured in our TUAW Desktops of the Week series, check out past featured desktops as well as the original post for the rules and to get an idea of what we're looking for. Then, upload your desktop screenshot to our TUAW Desktops Flickr group. We'll feature one or more desktops each weekend, giving credit to the desktop owner, wallpaper creator and any apps featured in the screenshot (if available). Keep those desktops rolling in!Комментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/01/desktop-of-the-week-for-4-1-4-07-07/#comments - EMI to say goodbye to DRM?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Apple Corporate, iTS, iTunes, Steve Jobs, Apple
Early today we posted about tomorrow's EMI press conference in London featuring the one and only Steve Jobs. May people thought this could mean that the Beatles music catalog would be coming to the iTunes store. While this would be interesting, the Wall Street Journal reports that EMI is doing something much more interesting than simply adding the Beatles to iTunes.
According to the Wall Street Journal (the whole article requires a log in) EMI has decided to offer a significant portion of its music catalog sans DRM. That's right, one of the Major Labels (notice those capital letters) is taking Steve up on his thoughts on DRM. Let's hope that the other Labels (and movie studios) follow suit. DRM is cold comfort to content creators, and an annoyance to legitimate consumers.
[via Daring Fireball]Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/01/emi-to-say-goodbye-to-drm/#comments - Greenpeace at Apple Store Roma Est
Filed under: Apple Corporate, Retail
Continental Europe's first Apple Store - Italy's Roma Est - received a huge number of visitors this past weekend, including Greenpeace. One representative, dressed as "Eva," offered a fig leaf-wearing "Ecco Steve Jobs" a green, eco-friendly Apple. The couple also brought two large, "green" iPod cutouts. If Google's Italian-to-English translation is accurate, they were eventually asked to leave.
Greenpeace has been after Apple to stop using toxic materials in manufacturing of their machines for quite a while now. If there's one thing you can say about these folks, it's that they're persistent.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/01/greenpeace-at-apple-store-roma-est/#comments - EMI/Apple press event on Monday
Filed under: Apple Corporate, iTS, Rumors, iTunes
Could this be the introduction of Beatles music in the iTunes Store?
According to the BBC, Apple sent a notice to certain members of the press on Sunday (except TUAW, for some strange reason) inviting them to a press event in London for this Monday. Expected to attend are Steve Jobs, EMI representatives and a special artist or band who will offer a live performance. Plus, the invite teases an "...exciting new digital offering." Hmmm.
Apple, Inc. and Apple Corps settled their dispute back in February, and several months ago Steve issued this invitation:
"..We have always loved the Beatles, and hopefully we can now work together to get them on the iTunes Music Store...We are glad to put this disagreement behind us."
Thanks, Fraser!
Update: Before we get too excited, let's remember today's date. Though that would be a mean trick.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/01/emi-apple-press-event-on-monday/#comments - Spyshot: Apple Store Baybrook Mall, Webster, TX
Filed under: Retail
TUAW reader, and Texan, Jason sent us a few photos he took of what will soon be Texas' latest Apple Store. It's located in Webster's Baybrook Mall, between Coldwater Creek and a place called Bags N Baggage (We're guessing that they sell bags). A quick look at Apple's jobs postings site revealed that a few retail positions are still available for this location.
We aren't aware of a time table for this store, but we'll keep our eyes peeled.
Thanks, Jason!Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/01/spyshot-apple-store-baybrook-mall-webster-tx/#comments - Rig of the Week: The wireless Newt
Filed under: Rig of the Week, Retro Mac
Rig of the Week is back (again). Why? Because Rig of the Day was overkill.
This week we take one more stab at the Newton's being named Apple's number one flop with this shot of a 2100 wirelessly browsing TUAW. No images, of course, but it's our words that are important, right?
Wireless Surfing by Yazdgerd
If you'd like to see your own rig featured here, simply upload photos into our group Flickr pool. Each Sunday we'll comb through the most recent entries and declare a "Rig of the Week!"Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/04/01/rig-of-the-week-the-wireless-newt/#comments - Found Footage: Mac OS X on Apple TV
Filed under: OS, Hacks, Apple TV
Is that a Mac Mini over there running OS X complete with UI? Nope, it's an Apple TV, modded by semthex from Hackint0sh.org. According to this AppleTV Hacks post, Semthex wrote a processor emulation for the kernel that works around Apple TV's hardware restrictions. AppleTVHacks has a complete set of instructions in case you want to try this out yourself.
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http://www.tuaw.com/2007/03/31/found-footage-mac-os-x-on-apple-tv/#comments - HoudahGeo geocoding with Google Earth integration
Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Beta Beat
We have posted about several differing geocoding solutions for the Mac. All of these programs allow you to embed location information in the EXIF data of your photographs, thus specifying where the photo was taken as well as the time, date, etc. The newest entry into the Mac geocoding sweepstakes is HoudaGeo, which has just been released as a public beta. Like some of the others, it allows you to tag your photos either by importing tracking data from a GPS device (syncing using the time stamps) or by using an interface with Google Maps. Once the photos have been tagged you can export them to Google Earth with a single click:
HoudaGeo is a free download while it's in beta but will eventually be shareware.Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/03/31/houdahgeo-geocoding-with-google-earth-integration/#comments - Garmin finally releases POI loader and WebUpdater
Filed under: Software, Odds and ends, Beta Beat
We've posted before about GPS maker Garmin's rather tortured relationship to its Mac customers, only delivering Mac compatible software a long time after promised (Training Center) or not at all (MapSource). However, it looks like things are getting better. After finally delivering Training Center back in January, Garmin has now graced us with two new Mac betas. The POI Loader "allows you to load custom points of interest into your unit" from your Mac. And the WebUpdater for Mac lets you update the firmware in your Garmin GPS device. Now if they'd finally get MapSource on the Mac, we might consider cutting them some slack.
Thanks, Mike!Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsКомментарии к сообщению:
http://www.tuaw.com/2007/03/31/garmin-finally-releases-poi-loader-and-webupdater/#comments
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